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Dean Jones Died At 84

Actor Dean Jones, best known for his acting work in such Disney films as “The Love Bug” and “That Darn Cat,” died Tuesday in LA. He was 84. For Elvis fans he will be remembered for playing DJ 'Teddy Talbot' in the 1957 Elvis movie “Jailhouse Rock.” In addition to his appearances in films such as “Under the Yum-Yum Tree,” “The Shaggy D.A.,” “The Million Dollar Duck,” “Snowball Express,” “Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo” and “Beethoven,” Jones also had roles in five Broadway shows and appeared in numerous television series and specials. He appeared in 46 films over the course of his career.

The actor made his Broadway debut in “There Was a Little Girl” with Jane Fonda in 1960, and went on to star in Broadway’s “Under the Yum-Yum Tree” that same year, before starring in the 1963 film adaptation with Jack Lemmon. Jones’ other Broadway credits include the original role of “Bobby” in Harold Prince/Stephen Sondheim’s “Company,” and Cap’n Andy in a national tour of “Showboat.” MGM signed Jones to a contract, and he began with a small role in “Somebody Up There Likes Me.” He later played a DJ in 1957 Elvis Presley movie “Jailhouse Rock.”

Other film credits include “Any Wednesday,” “The New Interns,” “Never So Few,” “When Every Day Was the Fourth of July,” “A Brush With Time” and Tom Clancy’s “Clear and Present Danger.” Jones was born in Decatur, Ala., and served in the Navy during the Korean War. He attended Kentucky’s Asbury University, which awarded him an honorary degree in 2002. The actor was inducted into the Disney Hall of Fame in 1995.

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When I first watched Jailhouse Rock in 1976, I said to myself, "There's the guy from the Disney movies ... hey, wait a minute, he's doing a commercial over Vince's record!". Like Fred MacMurray, Kurt Russell, and Joe Flynn, Dean Jones was a perfect fit for 1960s Disney movies.